Sheet registering mechanism for printing machines



Oct 8, 1935. w. K. ECKHARD 2,016,277

SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 18, 1933 I INVENTOR Oct. 8, 1935. w. K. ECKHARD 2,016,277

' SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed March 18, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 0a. 8,,1935. w. KfECKHARD 2,016,277

SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed March'l8, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Oct. 8, 1935.

w. K. ECKHARD 2,016,277

SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 18, 1933 INVENTORY Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES William K. Eckhard, Dunellen, N. J., assignor to Irving Trust Company, permanent trustee for R. Hoe 8a 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York This invention in general relates to sheet feeding mechanism for printing machines, and more particularly to a novel vertically lifting front sheet stop or sheet registering device which is adapted to accurately align, and then allow the passage of a sheet, while eliminating in large measure the usual shock, noise and vibration incident to the operation of conventional sheet stops or registering devices hitherto in use.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind indicated that will efliciently and quietly move the sheet registering or front sheet stops with a minimizing of the shock and vibration which heretofore adversely afiected the quality of the printing.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a sheet registering device of generally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple,

durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient; practical, serviceable and efiicient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a printing machine to which an embodiment of the invention has been applied; showing the auxiliary apparatus which coacts with the details forming the subject matter of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view, as seen in the direction of the arrow 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, with parts broken away taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow 8 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevational view, with parts roken away, as seen in the direction of the arrow 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged elevational view of certain details of the invention, as seen on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, looking inthe direction of the arrow;

Figure 6-. is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 6-6 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Figure 7 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in section, of a supporting bracket for the stop mechanism, taken on the line and as seen in the -6 direction of the arrow 1 of Figure 9;

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of the mechanism depicted in Figure 4, as seen in the direction of the arrow 8 of Figure 9;

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view, partly 0 in elevation, of details of construction, of the novel sheet registering device or stop, showing one stage of the operation of the device where an advancing sheet is approaching;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9, showing 15 another stage of operation, where the sheet has engaged the registering mechanism;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figures 9 and 10, showing the sheet advanced to a point where the front stop and guide fingers have been raised 20 and the sheet has been taken by the grippers of the impression cylinder;

Figure 12 is a sectional view taken on line i2 of Figure 8, as seen in the direction of the arrow;

Figure 13 is a sectional view taken on line so i3--l3 of Figure 12, as seen in the direction of the arrow i3; and

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 13 with the moving elements removed.

Referring to the drawings, I9 and 2| desig- 30 nates the frames of an offset printing machine whereon an impression cylinder 22 and a coacting printing cylinder (not shown) are rotatably mounted. On one end of the shaft 23 of the impression cylinder 22, which is rotatably as mounted in the frames l9 and 2| of the machine,

a pair of cams '24, 2B are fastened. Coactingly engaged with the cams 24, 25 are a pair of rollers 26, 21, the roller 26 being mounted on a crank arm II the hub 28 of which is keyed to a shaft 40 28 rotatably mounted in the frame I9, the said hub N of the crank arm 28 having an extension or portion 3| to an end of which latter a spring pressed plunger 32 is attached. On an inner end of the shaft 29, a trip arm 33 is keyed or 45 fastened, the said am coacting with a stop or member 34, hinged to the frame l9 and pivotaily connected to a lower end of a link 35 and to an upper end of a second link 35'. On the hub 28' of the arm 28, an arm 36 is formed, the said arm 38 being hinged to a link 31 operatively connected to mechanism (not shown) for tripping the impression" as is called, or moving the print-, ing cylinder (not shown) to an inoperative position.

As best shown in Figure 1, the roller 21 is mounted on a comparatively small crank arm 38, keyed to a shaft 39, andbiased at one end by a spring pressed plunger 48, the shaft 39 having an arm 4| fastened thereto which is hingedly connected to the lower end of the link 35', the latter being hingedly connected to the link 35 which in turn is pivotally connected to an arm 42, biased by a spring pressed plunger 43 connected thereto and slidable in a lug or poppet 44, threadedly secured to a transverse member 45 joining the frames i9 and 2|. The arm 42 is keyed to a transversely positioned shaft 48, rotatably supported in bearing brackets 41, fastened to the transverse member 45, the said transverse member 45 being slidably and adjustably supported relatively to the frames I9 and 2! by manually operable adjusting screws 48 and 48', arranged in brackets 49, 9| fastened to the frames I9 and 2|. The screws 48 and 48 have manipulating wheels 52 fastened thereon, whereby when the latter are turned the said screws may be threaded into and out of the member 45 thus bodily moving same and, consequently, all the elements connected thereto as a unit for a purpose which will appear hereinafter.

The bearing brackets 41 of the transverse member 45 also serve to rotatably support a second shaft 53, to which is fastened at one end an operating hub 54, engaged by a spring pressed plunger 55, slidably supported on a bracket 58 fastened to the transverse member 45. The hub 54, has two arms or projections 51, 58, the latter of which abuts against an adjusting screw 59 threadedly supported in a poppet 88, in turn carface plate 82', on a shelf or lug 82, secured to an arm 83, pivoted on a stud 84, and having a. lug or projection 85, engaged by an adjustable stop 88, fastened to a poppet 88', secured to the rear frame 2|. The arm 83 is also provided with a roller 81 engaged by a cam 88 preferably arranged directly on the impression cylinder 22.

The shaft 53, as best shown in Figures 9 to 11 inclusive, has a hub or collar 89 adjustably se cured thereto by a screw 18. The hub 89 is formed with a lug 12, which is engaged in a notch or space provided in a sheet registering stop member or plunger 13 the lower extremity or stop 13' of which directly serves as one of the plurality of vertically lifting sheet registering means mentioned above, the said sheet registering plunger 18 being slidablyarranged in a. space formed between a pair of plates 14, 15 secured to the transverse member 45. It is to be understood by inspection of Figures 3 and 4 that the construction at either side of the centre of the transverse member 45 is duplicated, and that there is a plurality of similar units or vertically lifting sheet registering devices. The plunger stop 13 is biased downwardly by a spring 18, the upper end of which is engaged against 9. lug 11. secured to the plate 14, the said stop 13 being provided with a pocket 18 in which seats a small spring 19, the lower end of which latter is engaged against an element 80, best shown in Figure l2, and having connected thereto a plate or 12, an adjusting screw 88, threadedly engagedin the element 89, has an enlarged head 89 received in a second slot formed in the upper extension of the member8l, thus permitting, when the screw 88 is first loosened, the raising or moving of the member 8| relatively to the element 88, by means of the adjusting screw 88. As best shown in Figures 9 and 12, the lower extremities of the plunger 13 may be raised or lowered above and below the level of the sheet supporting table, indicated generally at 9i over which latter 20 sheets 92 are impelled. The said lower extremity 13' of the plunger 13 directly cooperates with details hereinafter described for aligning the sheets 92.

Pivoted on a pin 93, secured to the plunger 13, is a sheet detector arm 94, which has a downwardly projecting portion 95 adapted to be engaged by the sheets 82 as the latter travel on the table or guides 9|. A stop pin 98 is adapted to limit the swinging movement of the detector 94 in the direction and to the extent indicated. As best disclosed in Figures 9, 10 and 11, the detector 94 extends forwardly to a point where'an end of the same can be engaged by a rod or finger 91, connected to anarm 98, keyed to the rock shaft 48, for a purpose hereinafter set forth when the rock shaft 48 is actuated by the means hereinbefore described.

It will be observed by inspection of Figure 9, that as a sheet reaches the position shown there- 40 in, the detector 94 prior to engagement by the sheet 92, is tilted slightly upward so that the depending portion thereof will be engaged against the stop pin 98 and advanced beyond a vertical position. In the position shown in F'igure 10, an advancing sheet 92 has engaged the sheet registering faces 13' of the front stop 19 and also the depending portion 95 of the detector 94, the spring pressed plunger stop 19 having been previously permitted by the position of the lug 12, on the collar 89, fastened to the shaft 84 to descend, thus placingthe detector 94, rockingly mounted thereon, in position shown where it has been engaged at its lower extremity 98, by the advancing sheet 92.

In Figure 11, the. sheet 82 has advanced still further, the detector 94 having been raised by the upward movement of the spring pressed plunger stop 13, as the lug 12, of hub 89, on the shaft 88,,turns with the latter. In this position, the sheet registering faces 18' of the plunger stop 13 have been raised sufliciently in a vertical plane to provide an unimpeded path for the oncoming sheet, while the grippers have operatively seized the sheet. It is to be'noted that while 85 the earns 24 and 25 are performing their functions, the cam 88 is functioning to rock the shaft 53 and, consequently, to reciprocate in a vertical plane the plunger stop 13 and the sheet detecting and registering members 13 and 94 "0 connected thereto. By reference-to Figure 6, it will be seen that as the roller 61, on the pivoted arm 83, rides' over the periphery of the cam '88 of the rotating impression cylinder 22, the plate 82, on the arm 83, will engage the plate 8| of arm 51, thereby angling the spring biased shaft 52 which, as mentioned above, is provided with the hub 88, having lug 12 that operates the plunger 13 and the vertically reciprocating sheet aligning means mentioned above.

The function and general manner of operation of the device may now be summarizedas follows:

Assuming thecams 24, and 60 and the coacting details to be in the position shown in Figure 1, and the impression cylinder 22 to be rotatingin the direction indicated by the arrow, further rotation of the said cylinder 22 will penmit the spring pressed crank arm 28 to first move inwardly or in a counterclockwise direction, as the roller 21 moves into the depressed portion of the cam 25, thereby moving downwardly the links and 35 and thus angling downwardly the stop member 34 attached thereto, the end of the latter then preventing the swinging inwardly of the trip arm 33 and, consequentiy, the "tripping of the impression" or the rendering inoperative of theprinting cylinder (not shown). The above-referred to downward movement of the links 35' and 25 will rock the shaft 48 and, consequently, swing the end of the finger 91 of the arm 98 past the extended end of the detector 84, if the latter has been engaged and moved by an advancing sheet or to the position shown in Figure 10.

In case a sheet 92 has not been properly led forward into engagement with the lower extremity as of the detector 94, the latter will remain in the position shown in Figure 9, and the extended end of the said detector 94 will be engaged by the adjacent end of the finger 81 as the rock or detector shaft 46, biased by the spring pressed plunger 43, swings in a clockwise direction the arm 98 which carries the finger 91!. Further movement of the finger 91 in the direction indicated will now be prevented, thereby restraining the link 35 and the stop member 34 connected thereto from moving downwardly and thus permitting the trip arm 33 on the spring biased shaft 29 to swing inwardly in a counterclockwise direction. This last movement will move the arm 26 and link 31 which will now trip the printing cylinder (not shown) out of contact with the impression cylinder 22 under the circumstances described, when :2 sheet has advanced to engage the detector The operation of the three cams 24, 25 and may be briefly stated, as follows; The outer cam 24 actuates the trip arm 32 and the link 21 thereby rendering inoperative or tripping the printing cylinder (not shown), the inner cam 25 moves the links 45' and 3! through the elements mentioned above and, consequently, the shaft 46 and trip finger 81 which coacts with the detector 94 to prevent angular movement of the stop 24 thereby permitting the trip arm 22 to swing to the left as described above, and "trip the impression" in cases where a sheet is not properly registered. The cam 68 serves to actuate the shaft 53 which reciprocates the vertically moving sheet registering mechanism above-described. The movement and functioning of all three cams 24, 25 and" is so timed that when the finger 81 is permitted to swing past the outer end of the detector '4 and not to engage same after the latter has been engaged by a sheet, the stop 24 will descend to prevent I counterclockwise turning of the trip arm 23 thus ,or adjusted relatively to the fixed frame members i9, 2| by means of the adjusting screws 48 and 48'. By shifting the entire assembly mounted on the transverse member 45 as a unit forward and backward in a substantially horizontal plane, the sheet registering units may be advanced or set back relatively to the line or point at which the sheet grippers engage the sheet. As a consequence, the general position of the printed matter on the sheet may be shifted towards and away from the edge or margin of the sheet.

Heretoi'ore, in sheet fed printing machines it has been customary to align the advancing sheets against a stop which is held temporarily motionless and then to abruptly withdraw the stop out of the path of the sheet, this being accomplished by moving the stop angularly away from the front edge of the sheet. In order to accomplish this angular movement of the stop in as brief a space of time as possible so as not to interfere with the normal functioning of the machine, it was essential in the method heretofore used to abruptly move or jerk the stop thus communicating a shock to the coacting members immediately concerned. This shock is reflected back through the entire printing mechanism, as is well known in the art, and is a prolific source of the streaks, which are to be seen occasionally on the printed pages, since the slightest jar or' tremor communicated to the inking and printing mechanism may occasion variations from the uniform products obtained in a smoothly operating printing machine where no shocks or Jars are communicated to the mechanism.

By the method and means employed in the present invention, the stop or sheet registering means, which is lifted in a substantially vertical plane, may be raised, at first, with a gentle motion and then with rapidly accelerating movement, this effect being achieved by the slope of the cam II, and while the sheet is in continuous engagement with the stop. In other words, a cam offgentle slope is employed requiring an appreciable share of time for its coacting rollers to traverse same, whereby the sheet registering stops mentioned above begin to lift with an almost imperceptible mOtion which is' rapidly accelerated to the point where the stop is disengaged from the sheet while moving perpendicularly, the said stop being continuously in contact with the sheet up to the moment of separating therefrom. As is well-known in the art, it is imperative that the sheet registering stops be instantly removed from the path of the sheet as the moving sheet grippers seize the said sheet. To accomplish this instant removal'of the stops from the sheet by the old method of moving the said. stops away from thesheet in an arcuate path that in some measure is in the general direction of the moving sheet itself, it was essential to deliver practically a blow to the sheet stops of sufficient force to perceptibly Jar the entire mechanism. By applicants method the sheet stop which begins its lifting motion with an imperceptible movement, is actually withdrawing, so to speak, from the sheet while continually in contact with and aligning same until the exact moment the grippers seize the sheet.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a non-shock, vertically moving, or rectilinearly moving, front sheet registering device in contra-distinction to the angularly moving front sheet registering devices heretofore employed, which, by reason of their construction and operation, communicated a shock to the associated mechanism with the operating disadvantages indicated above, by reason of the requirement for their practically instantaneous movement out of the path of the sheet.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine, a manually adjustable member, a plurality of stops reciprocatingly mounted on said manually adjustable member, said stops being adapted to be engaged by the leading edge of a sheet to register same and then to move out of the path of movement of the said sheet in a direction perpendicular to the said path.

2. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine including frame members, an impression cylinder rotatably mounted on said frame members, a transverse member mounted on said frame members in transverse relation thereto, means for varying the position of the transverse member relatively to the frame members, a plurality of stops arranged on said transverse members, said stops being adapted to engage the leading edge of a sheet to register same, and means connected to and intermittently actuated by said printing machine for reciprocating the stops in a plane substantially perpendicular to the said sheet to engage the leading edge of same, and subsequently moving out of the path of the sheet in order to permit same to pass.

3. In a registering device for a printing machine including frame members, a member adjustably secured to the frame members and arranged in transverse relation thereto, a plurality of shafts mounted on said member, a sheet supporting surface adapted to support a sheet traveling oversame, and a stop adapted to engage a leading edge and then move across the path of the sheet in constant engagement with same, and means for imparting further movement to the stop to allow the sheet to pass.

4. In a registering device for a rotary sheet fed printing machine, a stop adapted to engage the leading edge of a sheet to register it, said stop including a plunger assembly movable in a vertical plane, cam actuated means for starting and accelerating the motion of the plunger while the stop is engaging the said leading edge of the sheet, and means to advance and retard the action of said stop, said cam actuated means serving to move the stop further to allow the sheet to pass.

5. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine, an adjustable cam actuated stop adapted to intermittently move and to engage a leading edge of a sheet to register the sheet, said stop having an accelerating motion while main-- taining engagement with the said leading edge of the sheet, a. normally stationary sheet guide 5 positioned immediately over the path of the sheet to prevent lifting the sheet when the stop is raised, and means for causing a further movement of the stop to allow the sheet to pass.

6. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine having a printing cylinder, a stop adapted to engage the leading edge of a sheet to register it, said stop being movable in'a substantially vertical plane to allow passage of the sheet, means mounted on the stop, and other means for 5 engaging said first mentioned means, said last mentioned means being effective to cause the tripping of said printing cylinder to render some inoperative during periods when a sheet has failed to engage said first mentioned means. 20

7. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine having a frame, a cylinder rotatably mounted on said frame, sheet grippers arranged on the said cylinder, means for supporting and conveying a sheet to said cylinder, a vertically re- 25 ciprocating stop arranged adjacent said means, means pivotally mounted on the stop, cam actuated means for reciprocating said stop, and a cam actuated member adapted to engage said first mentioned means when not engaged by a sheet, 30 said member being inoperative when the first mentioned means is operatively engaged by a sheet. I I

8. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine having a frame, a cylinder rotatably 5 mounted on said frame, sheet grippers arranged on one of said cylinders, and means for supporting and conveying a shee to said cylinder, a vertically reciprocating sheet aligning assembly slidably mounted on said printing machine, means 40 adapted to engage the assembly when the assembly is not engaged by a sheet, a cylinder tripping mechanism operably connected to said cylinder and to said means and adapted to be actuated when the said means have enga ed the assembly, 45

ate said tripping mechanism when said means have engaged the registering device, said registering device moving in a plane substantially normal to the path of the sheet.

10. In combination with a. printing machine, having a cylinder provided with sheet grippers, a cylinder tripping mechanism and a. plurality of cams, a sheet registering assembly including a detector movably mounted on the assembly and adapted to be engaged by a sheet to be operated on by said printing machine, said assembly being slldably mounted on said machine and reciprocated in a substantially vertical plane by one of said cams, and means movably connected to the machine and actuated by another of said cams, said means being engageable with said detector when it has been engaged and moved by said sheet.

11. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine, having means for suporting and conveying sheets, a printing cylinder provided with sheet grippers, a sheet engaging member reciprocatingly mounted on said machine and adapted to be engaged by a sheet, a cam actuated means for reciprocating said member to engage a sheet for registering same and then to withdraw from said sheet while moving in a plane perpendicular thereto, other cam actuated means for permitting the tripping of said cylinder to render same inoperative at a predetermined time, and a third cam actuated means adapted to engage the member thereby permitting the actuation of the said other cam actuated means in order to trip the cylinder.

12. Ina registering device for a sheet fed printing machine including an impression cylinder having sheet grippers and a plurality of cams, a sheet engaging stop reciprocatingly mounted on said machine and actuated by one of said cams to reciprocate in a vertical path for engaging and disengaging a sheet to align same before being engaged by said sheet grippers, means mounted on the stop, and other means connected to another of said cams and coacting with saidflrst mentioned means to permit the tripping and, consequently, to render inoperative the said impression cylinder when the first mentioned means is not engaged by a sheet.

13. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine including frame members, an impression cylinder rotatably mounted on said frame members, a transverse member mounted on said frame members in transverse relation thereto,

. means for varying the position of the transverse member relatively to the frame members, a plurality of stops arranged on said transverse memhere, said stops being adapted to engage the leading edge of a sheet to register same and means connected to and intermittently actuated by said printing machine for reciprocating the stops in a path substantially pe p ndicular to the said sheet to engage the leading edge of same, and subsequently moving out of the path of the sheet in order to permit same to pass, and other means for moving the said transverse member relatively to said frame members, whereby the transverse member and members mounted thereon may be adjusted as a unit.

14. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine, a stop adapted to engage a leading edge of a sheet to register it, said stop including a plunger assembly movable in a plane normal to the path of said sheet, means for guiding said plunger assembly while moving, and a sheet guide connected to said means.

15. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine, a stop adapted to engage the leading edge of a sheet to register it, means slidably confining the stop to movement in a plane normal to the path of said sheet, a sheet detector pivotally connected to said stop. and a sheet guide adjustably connected to said means.

16. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine, a stop adapted to engage the leading edge of a sheet to register it, instrumentalities connected to and coacting with said stop for confining movement of same in a vertical plane, a

sheet guide connected to said instrumentalities,

whereby said sheet may be printed upon at vaand threaded means for adjusting said sheet guide in a plane normal to the path of the sheet.

17. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine, a stop adapted to engage the leading edge of a sheet to register it, a sheet detector hingedly connected to and moving with said stop, a guideway for the stop to confine movement of same to a plane normai'to the path of the sheet, and means for moving said stop and consequently said sheet detector into a position efiective for engaging a sheet.

18. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine including a frame, a plurality of front stops adapted to engage the leading edge of a sheet to register it, a corresponding plurality 15 of means engaged with said stops for moving same in a plane substantially vertical to the path of the sheet, a member connected to said frame in transverse relation thereto, means operably connecting the stops to the member, and manually operable instrumentalities for moving the member. and consequently all the stops connected thereto as a unit.

19. A combination as specified in claim 18 wherein the said front stops are provided with sheet detectors rockingly mounted thereon.

20. In a registering device for asheet fed printing machine including frame members and printing instrumentalities, an impression cylinder rotatably mounted on said frame members, a member mounted on said frame members in transverse relation thereto, a plurality of front stops movable in a vertical plane, means operably connecting the stops to said member, said stops being adapted to engage the leading edge of a sheet to register it, threaded means for varying the position of the transverse member relatively to the frame members and consequently the position of the said front stops relatively to the path of the sheet,

rious distances from its edge by adjustment of said transverse member while said machine is in operation.

21. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine including frame members and an impression cylinder rotatably mounted on said frame members, a member mounted on said frame members in transverse relation thereto, a front stop adapted to engage the leading edge of the sheet to register it, a guideway coacting with said stop to confine movement of same to a plane vertical to the path of the sheet, means connecting said stop to said transverse member, cam means actuated by said impression cylinder for starting -and accelerating the motion of said stop while the stop is engaged with the leading edge of the saidsheet, and a sheet guide connected to said guideway and adjustable in a vertical direction relatively to the path 0. the sheet, said transverse member being adapted to move said front stop relatively towards and away from the leading edge of the sheet in order to vary the general position of printed matter thereon.

22. In a registering device for a sheet fed printing machine, a cam actuated stop adapted to intermittently move and to engage a leading edge of a sheet to register the sheet, said stop having an accelerating movement while maintaining engagement with the said leading edge of the sheet, and a normally stationary sheet guide positioned over the path of the sheet, said stop being adapted to reciprocate through said sheet guide.

WILLIAM K. ECKHARD. 

